Thurman can hit 96 mph but sits at 90-93, adding a strong changeup and two breaking balls.

“We love what he did at Irvine, we love what he did at the Cape Cod League, we love his delivery,” said Mike Elias, Astros director of amateur scouting. “So we feel it was a very good investment for what we got.”

The native of Orange, Calif., was at the top of the Astros’ board when the No. 40 pick was on the clock and the club became excited about the potential of drafting Thurman about pick 30.

“A lot of the buzz on the streets that we were able to get our hands on viewed him as a first-round talent,” Elias said.

The team didn’t consider slot value when selecting Thurman. The pick has a max value of $1.39 million.

“We don’t anticipate any particular difficulties or abnormalities with this negotiation,” Elias said. “We’re thrilled with what we got, especially when we can back up an arm with another arm on the same day.”